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W
inemaker Jeff Gaffner has spent over 20 years making quality wines, and his time spent with Chateau St. Jean's "Cinq Cepages" has
much to do with his approach to winemaking. He is a firm believer in connecting with a vineyard and
feels the most important thing a grower and winemaker can put in their vineyard is their shadow.
We select vineyard sites of the highest quality and within those sites, we select specific rows and spend
time to evaluate the vines and fruit to best match our winemaking practices and maximize what we want
from the wine. Knowing what journey the fruit took helps us decide what to do once it's at the winery.
By staying in touch with our vineyards, we have a better feel for when to pick. We never pick by the
numbers; we pick based on vineyard and vine health and most importantly, by taste.
Our goal is to get the most out of the fruit without going too far.
We want a rich, concentrated elegant wine. We select the right vineyards and use the most delicate winemaking
practices. We age our wines in tight-grained French Oak barrels for 30 months for a more elegant and
rich extraction.
-- Jeff Gaffner
The Cabernets from St. Helena are from well-drained soil, some with obsidian. They provide violets,
lavender, chocolate, berries and coffee. The other Cabernets are from well-drained rocky red soil and
contain hints of black cherry and plum. The Merlot is jammy like a Cabernet Sauvignon and the Malbec
is from the valley floor in Rutherford and adds violet and bottle brush to the nose.
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